Javelinas report: Baseball splits doubleheader against West Texas A&M

KINGSVILLE - The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team rebounded from a 6-1 loss in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader with West Texas A&M to win the second game 6-4 at Nolan Ryan Field.

A&M-Kingsville (27-13, 10-9 Lone Star Conference) trailed 2-0 in game 2 before erupting for six runs in the bottom of the third inning against the Buffaloes (23-16, 9-10).

A&M-Kingsville sent 11 hitters to the plate and pounded out eight hits in the inning. The Javelinas had four doubles, including a two-run double by Ben Villafuerte to knot the game at two.

The Javelinas took the lead a batter later on a two-run home run by Taylor Taska, his sixth of the season. Chris Ballou followed with a double and later scored on a passed ball. Matt Perez drove in the final run of the inning with a single to right.

The score would remain 6-2 until West Texas struck for two in the top of the sixth. Javelinas closer Jeremy Flores worked the seventh for his eighth save.

Zachary Pettiford (4-3) earned the win, going six innings and allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out six.

In the first game of the day, West Texas scored five in the first and one in the second off Taska (5-2). Of the six runs just one run was earned as Kingsville had two costly errors.

SOFTBALL

ENM blanks Javs

KINGSVILLE — Eastern New Mexico blanked the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team 6-0 in their series finale at Hubert Field.

The Javelinas (12-29, 2-16 Lone Star) kept the Zias (14-33, 6-12) scoreless with one hit through the third inning. Eastern New Mexico came back in the fourth and scored on a two-run homer that hit off the left field foul pole. The Zias tacked on four more runs to cruise to the victory.